UH Libraries Memberships: NDSA

The University of Houston Libraries has been accepted as a member of the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA).

The NDSA is a consortium of organizations committed to the long-term preservation of digital information. The mission of the NDSA is to establish, maintain, and advance the capacity to preserve our nation’s digital resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

The NDSA has established five Working Groups focusing on content, standards and practices, infrastructure, innovation, and outreach in digital preservation. As a member of NDSA, UH Libraries will collaborate and share expertise in activities associated with the advancement of digital preservation policies and practices.

Learn more about UH Libraries’ memberships benefiting students, faculty, and the scholarly community.

Ferimer and Colleagues Awarded by MLA

The Association of Vision Science Librarians (AVSL) has been honored with the Louise Darling Medal for Distinguished Achievement in Collection Development in the Health Sciences by the Medical Library Association (MLA). Suzanne Ferimer, optometry library coordinator at the University of Houston Libraries, is a member of the AVSL Standards Work Group, which published the award-winning paper titled “Standards for Vision Science Libraries: 2014 Revision.”

AVSL is a SIG of both the MLA and the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO).

“It is with great pleasure that the Board of Directors of the Medical Library Association joins us in offering our heartfelt congratulations on Association of Vision Science Librarians selection as the recipient of the 2016 Louise Darling Medal for Distinguished Achievement in Collection Development in the Health Sciences, one of MLA’s highest honors,” wrote MLA president Michelle Kraft and executive director Kevin Baliozian. “The association’s contributions are laying the foundation for MLA’s second century of excellence and achievement in the health information profession.”

Along with Ferimer, members of the Standards work group are Karen Lamson of MCPHS University, C. Brooke Caldwell of Southern College of Optometry, Chris Nims of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and Kristen Motte of New England College of Optometry.

Krewer Appointed to Editorial Board

Drew Krewer, digitization services coordinator at the University of Houston Libraries, has been appointed to the editorial board of the international peer-reviewed Journal of Digital Media Management, which focuses on the latest thinking, practice and developments in digital asset management.

Krewer has been with the UH Libraries since March 2014, where he provides an innovative and service-oriented approach to the improvement of digital access and preservation. He has published and presented in the areas of large-scale digitization, the establishment of digital preservation policies, and the enhancement of digitization practices. Krewer is the chair of the Digital Preservation Network (DPN) Preservation Metadata Standards Committee, chair of the UH Libraries Digital Preservation Task Force, and co-chair of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services Preservation and Reformatting Section (ALCTS/PARS) Preservation Metadata Interest Group.

UH Libraries Strategic Plan 2017 – 2021

The University of Houston is a premier research institution, offering opportunities for learning, discovery, and engagement to a diverse population. The UH Libraries, a key component of the University’s success, must anticipate and respond to the research and educational needs of its constituents in a globally interdependent world. UH Libraries Strategic Plan, FY 2017 – 2021, serves as the foundation for the UH Libraries’ continued excellence, constant improvement, and growing national reputation as a top research library. At the heart of this plan lie the University of Houston’s Strategic Goals.

The UH Libraries Strategic Plan, FY 2017 – 2021, is guided by the Libraries’ shared organizational values, input from the Office of the Provost, and is closely aligned with University priorities. The goals and initiatives of this document will provide guidance for departments, functional units, and individuals over the next five years.

View the UH Libraries Strategic Plan, FY 2017 – 2021.

Member of the Month: Alex Simons

The Texas Library Association (TLA) member of the month is Alex Simons, history and political science librarian at the University of Houston Libraries. Read more

Big Hawk Day Proclamation at UH Special Collections

Ten years after the murder of John “HAWK” Hawkins, Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed May 8 “Big Hawk Day” in commemoration of the Houston rapper’s life and career.

At a recent event held at the University of Houston Libraries Special Collections, Hawkins’ widow, Meshah Hawkins, was presented with a proclamation from the City of Houston as well as Congressional recognition from the office of Sheila Jackson Lee.

HAWK was a member of the Screwed Up Click, a group of talented Houston rappers who performed on the pioneering mixtapes of DJ Screw. HAWK released the solo albums Under H.A.W.K.’s Wings, HAWK, and Endangered Species. Along with his brother Fat Pat, DJ Screw, and Kay Kay, he released the album Screwed for Life as a member of the group Dead End Alliance (DEA).

In attendance at the event were Meshah Hawkins and her sons Tahj and Koran; HAWK’s mother Louella Hawkins; and his sisters Paula Roberts and Catina Hawkins; as well as artists Lil’ Keke; Poppy, Scooby, and Unique of the G.R.i.T. Boys; and rapper Fat Tony. Other attendees included music promoter Matt Sonzala and photographer Todd Spoth.

View photos from the event.

Delphians Provide Funds for New Equipment

Trustees of the Houston Assembly of Delphian Chapters Scholarship Foundation Fund presented the University of Houston Libraries with a grant to acquire new equipment for the benefit of students and scholars at a recent Awards and Installation Luncheon.

The funds will go towards the purchase of GoPro cameras, which will be added to the technology available for check-out from the MD Anderson Library Learning Commons.

UH Librarians Promote Data Literacy in the Health Sciences

Healthcare workers increasingly depend on data for decision-making, but students frequently graduate with limited data literacy skills in health science professions. Porcia Vaughn, biochemistry, biology, and nursing librarian, and Josh Been, social science data librarian, have joined forces to address this need. Working with the UH School of Nursing and the health education program within the UH College of Education, they developed curriculum and data tools to help health students acquire real world analytical skills.

Socio-economic data can be used to identify and target areas for health intervention. Using these types of data, nursing students developed an education program focused on exposure to lead risk in Fort Bend County, while health education students were able to identify medically underserved areas and food desert regions in Harris County. Additionally, health education students used data visualization tools to explore the effect of peer relationships on alcohol consumption habits.

Been and Vaughn provided in-class activities that allowed students to critically think through real world health issues. These activities led students to create implementation plans for community health education initiatives in the community. These are just two examples of how librarians can enrich the teaching curriculum by providing hands-on experience with data analysis skills that directly influence real world outcomes.

UH Libraries Launches READ Campaign

The University of Houston Libraries has begun a new campaign to celebrate reading and lifelong learning.

The UH READ campaign follows in the tradition of the American Library Association (ALA) Celebrity READ posters that first appeared in 1985. The first group of UH READ posters feature UH faculty and librarians who have recently been promoted and/or achieved tenure, along with Paula Myrick Short, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost; Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center; Alan Dettlaff, dean of the UH Graduate College of Social Work; and Earl Smith III, dean of the UH College of Optometry.

Dean of Libraries Lisa German was moved to establish the UH READ campaign owing to a strong personal connection with reading.

“A lifelong love of reading was nurtured by my father,” German said. “When I was a baby and through early childhood he read me a story every night before bed. I believe this made me the reader I am today and I love watching my daughter now read to her son.”

Dean German is enthusiastic about reading and its impact on personal and professional development, and aims to convey that message with the UH READ campaign. The posters are on display in the MD Anderson Library Leisure Reading area.

View UH READ campaign photos.

UH Librarians Selected for TLA Executive Leadership Program

Two University of Houston librarians are among the first cohort of the Texas Library Association (TLA) Executive Leadership Immersion.

Christian Kelleher, head of Special Collections, and Michelle Malizia, director of library services for the health sciences, were selected to participate in TLA’s newest and most ambitious leadership program, led by dean of libraries at Austin Community College and American Library Association (ALA) president-elect Julie Todaro. The program aims to prepare those in administrative roles with focused, next-level learning experiences.